This project degree paper is examining, analyzing and discussing the way towards the final interpretation of a piece of music. As a musician, the way to perform music on stage is always accompanied with some doubts and decisions that are made during its way to a concert performance regarding all kinds of aspects while playing. Therefore, this paper is critically viewing the factors that have an impact on musicians along the study of a piece.To be able to present the different factors Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet in G minor op. 57 has been analyzed from the point of view of my own interpretation and the interpretation of Shostakovich himself on the piano together with two different quartets: the Beethoven and Borodin Quartet. This in order to clarify and find ways to understand the way Shostakovich himself wanted the music he produced to sound.The study showed that even though Shostakovich was very accurate with his notation in the scores, the music was performed differently depending on the musicians. Music itself is not only produced and generated by the composer likewise the musicians themselves have not only their own thoughts to consider, but also four greater factors: the musician’s technical abilities, the composer’s biography, historical knowledge and the use of both recordings and visuals to receive a more accurate understanding of the music. All this in order to produce an objectively more correct way of playing and to fulfill the intentions of the composer, which also showed can be dependent on the musicians.

This master project degree paper aims to examine, analyze and discuss the road towards afinal interpretation of a piece of music. A performance on stage is only the tip of the iceberg. For a musician, the act of performance is always accompanied with doubts and decisions regarding all kinds of aspects while playing: whether in practice rooms, concert halls or in front of a teacher or a jury. Therefore, this degree paper will view the factors which have an impact on musicians throughout the study of a piece in the journey to infallibility. In order to present these different factors, Nicolò Paganini´s Caprice No. 24 has been analyzed from the point of view of my own interpretation and technical difficulties: from the practice room, lessons, to a master class and finally a performance on stage in front of a jury and an audience (during different stages of the learning and rehearsal process). The study showed that it is multifactorial. Besides thorough technical work, there are other factors involved such as concrete musical ideas, posture and the control of nerves. All this together can be seen as major factors that would lead to an infallible performance of a piece of music.

In this essay I describe the similarities and differences between my main instrument, trombone, and my secondary instrument, baritone horn. The question I asked myself in the beginning wasdealing with what effects these instruments may or may not have onmyself in an improvisational context.In order to bring the project to a practical and musical setting aconcert was to be held. Because of this a lot of time was spent composing music with the two instruments in mind. Different ways of composing used aredescribed later in the essay.For example,only using pen and paper as well as the computer program Sibelius.The compositions were also divided between the two instruments. Some tunes were using trombone and others baritone horn. The reasoning behind this is also elaborated on. In order to make the comparison as fair as possible a lot of time was spent practicing thesecondary instrument. This was because of the needto eliminate the element offaultytechnique as much as possible.The last part of the essay reflectsupon different aspects that could have been improved.Such as planning the rehearsals, which got prioritized pretty late in the process and ended up leavingless combined rehearsaltimethan what was initiallyplanned. There isalsoa return to the question asked in the beginning.Explainingwhat differences and similarities wasfound. Also discussingthe effects that the different instruments had when playing themand why that may be. These effects revolved partly around sound quality but also how theimprovisational ways slightly changed between the instruments.

I wanted to challenge myself and write music for an unusual constellation of instruments. I wrote music that had inspiration from different genres like jazz, baroque, folk music and classical music. The instruments I wrote for were cello, recorder, harpsichord and double bass. The instrument basson participates in one of the pieces. In my work I will explore different forms when it comes to composition and ensemble play. I will investigate different approaches and methods with the ensemble. Methods that leave a lot of space for the musician's interpretation of the pieces. Together we shape the music into something that we think is interesting. During this project, I learned a lot about the instruments cello, recorder, harpsichord and double bass and how they work together. The project resulted in a concert at KMH.

Rosenberg, SusanneRoyal College of Music in Stockholm, Department of Folk Music.Misgeld, OlofRoyal College of Music in Stockholm, Department of Folk Music.Hjalmarsson, JonasRoyal College of Music in Stockholm, Department of Folk Music.Berndalen, PetterRoyal College of Music in Stockholm, Department of Folk Music.Marsden, BridgetRoyal College of Music in Stockholm, Department of Folk Music.Willman, PernillaRoyal College of Music in Stockholm, Department of Folk Music.

The purpose of this study is to elaborate and examine a method that I have chosen to call ”Ensembleportföljen”. The study aims to show whether or not high school students benefit from ”Ensembleportföljen” in ensemble lessons where they hopefully get a greater insight regarding their own musical development.

The study has been carried out in two high schools in southern Sweden. Two different classes were selected and the study took place during their music lessons where one class proceeded with their usual curriculum while the other one worked according to the ”Ensembleportföljen”. Observations of classroom performances and interviews with teachers and students have been carried out throughout the study.

The results show that a significant amount of the students that tried the ”Ensembleportföljen” did benefit from the outcome. A greater understanding regarding their own learning was achieved and their confidence was increased. However, the study showed that a functional digital platform is necessary for further usage of the ”Ensembleportföljen”. However, the study had to be done on the students' breaks not to take time away from the ensemble lesson.

The writer of this master thesis was acquiring an education in classical percussion and deeply respecting the music genre named djent. He was so impressed by metal music that he taught himself how to use the notation programme Sibelius 7 and arranged a number of his favourite songs for the percussion ensemble so he would be able to play them. The following text supports and describes the process. A short analysis of 16 arrangements is included as well.

Personality psychology is one of the most popular ranges of psychology today. There’re many different theories about how personality influences your thinking and behavior. The general thought among psychologists today is that personality is something that arises from within and stays somewhat similar throughout life – although some dimensions of personality can also change and develop. Genetics, environment and personal experiences each have an influence on your personality and its development. For musicians, personality affects for example what kind of colleague you are and how you like to work. It even has an impact on your stage charisma. Even so, perhaps one of the biggest things that tells about a musician’s personality is the reason why they’ve chosen music as a career. This reflection is about the different aspects of your personality and what kind of role they play in your practicing process, and in what way is your performance influenced by your personality, based on psychological research and my experiences with Sibelius Violin Concerto. Since personality also has a big impact on many other aspects in life, it’s definitely one aspect that shapes your performances and your career. Learning about your personality can help you to better understand yourself and your preferred working habits, and you can even learn to use this information for improving yourself as a colleague and a musician.

This study was carried out in order to discover new strategies to memorize piano music. There are six different types of memory involved in performing: auditory, kinesthetic, visual, analytical, nominal and emotional. There are two main ways of practicing: playing practice and non-playing practice. I tried to find out if the order in which we use these two kinds of practice affects the quality of the memorization. During one week I practiced three different pieces following three different methods: 1 Using only playing practice; 2 using first playing practice and then non-playing practice; 3 using first non-playing practice and then playing practice. The second method had a much better result than the other two. The whole process was registered with a video camera and a logbook.

From a hermeneutic perspective, a qualitative study based on interviews of six musicians has been conducted. The informants work or have worked in orchestras with hierarchical or non- hierarchical structure. The asked questions concerned the informants’ experiences of equality, interaction, motivation, their personal musical development and the quality of the orchestra’s performance. The biggest differences that were noticed concerned the perceived degree of equality, which was higher in the non-hierarchical orchestra. Furthermore, the psychosocial environment correlates with equality in the orchestra and is thus a structural issue. All the informants stated that the best musical performance can be achieved in a hierarchical orchestra, in which all musicians play the part they auditioned to. Contrary to the results from the interviews, the literature used in this study states that the best musical quality is achieved in orchestras with a non-hierarchical structure.